July 5 ling-zilla

Well-known member

6 hours on the ocean Thursday on my Hobie Oasis- Sunset bay launch at first light, due west almost a mile, 80 to 100' of water, and started trolling a herring for salmon. (FYI- Sunset Bay tag code is 20 ). I looked for groups of diving Murre but they were scattered about. No bait balls on the sonar, and then the fog rolled in and I quickly learned that powerboats cruising in the fog off shore are not expecting to come up on a kayak. So after an hour and half of salmon trolling, I beat feet for Simpson Reef.

when I post the video over the weekend, I will share what large sea lions do when you pull a lingcod from the water just as they are closing in on it, they "escorted' me away from the reef. and there are at least 2 gray whales that are just hanging out at Simpson reef right now, they are much better company than the sea lions when you are sitting at sea level.

back to fishing, I head out to a favorite spot just OFF the end of the reef, chatted a bit with the gray whale hanging out maybe 20 yards from where I was drifting my squid on the bottom, I was about 20 yards from the actual reef when I hooked into a big fish, got my GoPro running and landed Ling-Zilla, Nice friendly 35", 17# fish that was just thrilled to be in my net.

possible caption for this last image: "Looks like rogerdodger is ignoring the minimum size regulations again, just look at that 25", 5# lingcod laying there next to, hang on, that is the small one? Oh, that's different, never mind."

Active member

Well-known member

I will use your catch phrase Roger.................excellent! That is one nice ling for sure. Sounds like a sketchy trip with the fur bags and fog. That would scare the hell out of me seeing a boat coming at you on a hobie, good idea getting OFF the water :thumb:

Well-known member

I will use your catch phrase Roger.................excellent! That is one nice ling for sure. Sounds like a sketchy trip with the fur bags and fog. That would scare the hell out of me seeing a boat coming at you on a hobie, good idea getting OFF the water :thumb:

well I felt it was best to get OFF the open water, there are not many power boats going fast in the fog where I like to fish- within feet of a reef. )

As for the furbags, I am seriously against them taking advantage of things that man has done (dams, reduced predator populations) to feast on fish and overpopulate areas, and they should catch their own fish, not steal them from peoples lines. Transient Orcas and Great Whites! (well, given all the blood I was leaking in the ocean yesterday, glad there weren't any of them around()

On the other hand, Simpson Reef is a place sea lions should be living, they come up near me all the time out there and I "chat" with them, ask how their fishing is going and such, they are usually real chill. Yesterday, they all seemed grumpy and I wondered if the pair of gray whales hanging around the reef and mucking up the water might have the sea lions upset.

Regardless, when it comes to a fish that I have hooked, it is mine. Got this short video up from when they chased me OFF after I scooped up that smaller ling right under their noses.....

Well-known member

here is the full story, from my NWKA thread, they had good reason to be "angry", I swiped it from them real good.
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The north side of the reef, about halfway between shore and the west end, there is a nice 'bay' that I have pulled keeper lings out of, depth only about 20' and stable, sometimes there are young sea lions playing nearby and I always give them space (especially when larger sea lions make it clear they are uncomfortable, Simpson reef is their home and I try to be a polite visitor, these are not the sea lions hanging at a fish ladder or stealing nooks from peoples lines. These sea lions are usually chill, pop up near me now and then, never tried to steal a fish, until this day). So I'm drifting my squid at the bottom when a pair of them pop up rather close (20 or 30 feet) and they give me the stink eye, I ask how their fishing is going and quickly decide to turn and give them space.

You guessed it, 20' of water, a pair of grumpy adult sea lions about the same distance away, rod is in the holder and bends down, grab it and pull up, not a rockfish, both sea lions dive and things happen real fast because I CAN LAND THIS FISH! Shimano lever drag reel really helps, in one motion I slam the drag to full and reel the lingcod in as fast as I can, seconds later it is coming along side and with about 5' of visibility, the first sea lion comes into view chasing it, the lings gill plates are flared out, so I just reach down with my left hand, slide my fingers into the gills and lift the lingcod out of the water in one quick motion, sea lion turns hard maybe 2' away and just misses the rear of the boat. Second sea lions passes under the boat fast and I am sitting there holding a 25" 5 pound ling.

On the stringer, clip the gills, toss it up front, sit down and that is when I see the first sea lion coming at me from the rear quarter at speed, he rolls and turns away maybe 3' from the side of the kayak, showing me his lighter colored belly. By now I am taunting them like crazy, while also leaving the area. They are continuing to charge me, I did not get any of that on video but I did get some of my reaction to not losing that fish to them.
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